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Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse Support in Panther?

This is NOTHING NEW!

Originally posted by cb911
i hope Panther will support Bluetooth mouse and keyboards... that would be really good. with my TiBook i used to use an external keyboard and mouse quite often. i was thinking about getting a wireless keyboard and mouse, but then you need the transmitter/receiver for it, and that just takes up more desk space.
Click to expand...

As stated above, bluetooth keyboards and mice ARE supported with the CURRENT bluetooth software.

And contrary to what someone says above, Apple DO support all kinds of third party devices with their software, when they can.

Shame on macrumors for not knowing these things and starting this rumor.

Please move on, there is nothing here too see.
 
No new keyboard/mouse for G5s

When you shop for a G5 at Apple.com and BTO, your keyboard/mouse choice (really just a choice of language) NO LONGER says "Apple Pro Mouse" and "Apple Pro Keyboard." They just say "Apple Mouse" and "Apple Keyboard."

That refers to the barely-different mouse and non-adjustable keyboard introduced with the new eMac. We may now safely consider the "Pro" models replaced by them. And we know from this exactly what Apple is saying will ship with your G5. (Although they could send out an email saying specs have changed prior to shipment or something.)

I suspect that a new "Pro" mouse and keyboard WILL be coming--we may even have the choice of which to BTO. And I think they may be Bluetooth.

That would explain why the new mouse/keyboard are NOT shipping with the G5s (yet). If Panther is needed, then Apple may switch over to the new mouse/keyboard only when Panther is done.

What would be needed to support the new devices? Who knows--maybe something to do with the multimedia controls (mute, etc.) or some new as-yet-unseen features--something that requires more OS software to support than what we already have for Bluetooth.

Sooner isn't impossible though: it may be perfectly practical to support the new devices fully in 10.2.7.

As for batteries, I think the ideal would be to have them recharge via USB cable. When plugged in, they would be just like any USB keyboard and mouse. But they would run for weeks without the cable. Changing batteries doesn't appeal to me, but recharging does.

A cordless mouse (with NO transmitter pod) would be GREAT for traveling with a PowerBook. A cord on a keyboard doesn't matter much to me either way.

(My idea is to have a pop-up 2-button mouse--with a flat Kensington-style scrollpad--that stows AND charges in the Cardbus slot. Please? Kensington? Anyone?)
 
they won't go weeks that is for sure

i do alot of work with bluetooth/ericsson, and i also have a bluetooth mouse and phone, they both use quite a bit of battery. the mouse goes about 1 week before i have to change them, but i use my mouse about 16 hrs a day... so a little longer for the casual user.

technocoy
 
Originally posted by alia
This might be a long shot but since it's a developer edition of the OS, it's worth mentioning. "Foo" is just a word a lot of developers use when they are writing apps and testing. They might not have their variable, function or field names set yet, so they just put "foo" in there as a temp name. At least, that's how it's always been at the places I've worked.

If you go to Think Geek (http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/coder/28f4/), they even have a t-shirt dedicated to "kung foo," or good programming skills. Anyway, that might explain the use of the word foo... it's just an option that they haven't quite set up yet, maybe?

Alia
Click to expand...


Right on. Foo/foobar is used in any situation where the programmer hasn't come up with a name yet or doesn't find doing so worth the bother. Basically, a filler for any occasion. But the etymology provided earlier is quite interesting. I wonder if programmers were recalling the war term when they started using foo/foobar.

Sidenote: Even my undergraduate texts use variations of foobar, so you can see this is deeply ingrained into developer culture.
 
I highly doubt a different mouse ships with the g5 than the current ones (Even though the current mice don't go with the G5 at all).

If apple had these mice and were planning on shipping them with the G5 then why would they not advertise it?

It just doesn't make sense not to advertise it.

Now selling it on the side for extra money is a different matter. But I doubt it would be a very popular product being that it would be overpriced and if apple continues on its current path it will probably be ugly as hell too :rolleyes: :eek: ;) .

Sigh.

scem0
 
Can anyone recommend a decent BlueTooth mouse?

Dear All,

Interesting discussion. I for one would love an Apple BlueTooth mouse and/or keyboard. However, I really need a BlueTooth mouse now as I've just shifted across to a 1 GHz PowerBook running OS X (10.2.6). I have an external USB BlueTooth adaptor, can anyone recommend a decent 3rd Party BlueTooth mouse?

Thanks for your help in advance, feel free to post replies here or email me: chris@fallt.com

Best,

Chris
 
Originally posted by scem0
I highly doubt a different mouse ships with the g5 than the current ones (Even though the current mice don't go with the G5 at all).

If apple had these mice and were planning on shipping them with the G5 then why would they not advertise it?

It just doesn't make sense not to advertise it.

Now selling it on the side for extra money is a different matter. But I doubt it would be a very popular product being that it would be overpriced and if apple continues on its current path it will probably be ugly as hell too :rolleyes: :eek: ;) .

Sigh.

scem0
Click to expand...

i actually have the feeling that G5s really were not revealed to the public yet.

yeah, everybody knows about them and so on. and yes they're featured on apple.com frontpage...

nevertheless did anyone see one of the single-G5-G5s ?
or did anyone see that DVI/s-video adapter that will be available for the new powermacs?
i actually don't even know how the external antennas for BT and AE will look like.

apple just had to pre-anounce the G5s. i'm pretty sure there will be another anouncement when they're really ready.

i'd bet money apple is not going to sell even one G5 with that white keyboard that comes with the e-macs. and i mean it.
:cool:

i actually don't mind if they will go bluetooth or not. though i think apple would make it in a way i will mind when the time has come...

BTW where did the BT-input devices rumor first appear?
and how did that source turn out concerning WWDC keynote?

ah yes, bluetooth or not: multi-button, i think. but i wouldn't bet money on that one. :)
 
How about Bluetooth PC-Card Support in Panther?

So far Apple only supports the stupid D-Link USB Dongles. I have a Pre-Alu Powerbook with a PC-Card Slot, instead of that dumb USB Dongle that I have to remove all the time I want one of those sleek 3com Bluetooth PC-Cards with the retractable antenna.... Anyone know if Apple will finally fix this in Panther?
Cheers,

Ahmed
 
Have you ordered a G5?

I did and the vanilla 2ghz has the bluetooth module as an option. If the keyboard on the G5 was to go bluetooth, don't ya think it would come standard?
 
Well I hope if they do support bluetooth peripherals that they work better than other cordless ones I've used.

Most have been fairly unusable.
 
I noticed something that makes me think Apple wireless keyboards/mice are in the works. I placed my order for my Dual 2Ghz G5, and the web order looked like this:

oldorder.gif


Pretty normal, right?

Well, my credit card bounced so I had to phone up Apple UK to get it sorted. Once it was sorted, the Apple people created me a new order, that looks like this:

neworder.gif


Notice something different? I like the way they just put 'Fastest proc', and God knows what an 'RV350' card is (judging by the order, the video card, and I've got a B065-4346 too! (country kit?) Anyway, notice what they've put for the keyboard/mouse?

Keybd Wired+Wired MS -B

They fact that they've mentioned that it is wired implies (to me, anyway) that wireless ones exist/will exist too - otherwise, what's the point of pointing out that they are wired?
 
Re: G5 video hints Jonathan Ive may be a criminal!

Originally posted by fef
I was watching the new 'learn more' video of the New Power Mac G5 (http://www.apple.com/powermac/video/) for the 8th time... (sorry i just couldn't help it!).. and at 00:05:15 I noticed that the keyboard nor the mouse weren't attached to the tower! not even to the Cinema Display!

Does this mean that bluetooth will finally come to Apple's own peripherals?

Who knows....
Click to expand...


I noticed that Jonathan Ive didn't have a brand tag on his TShirt at about 00:04:14

Dos this mean he gets arrested by the same people that police our mattresses?

Who knows....:p

I think it's a given that Apple will eventually release bluetooth devices if just to make the feature useful beyond Palm and t68i phone syncing.
 
Someone suggested that apple may ship the current keyboard and mouse with the G5 and switch to a new keyboard and mouse with panther.
Can you imagine the line of p-issed off G5 owners with flame throwers and rocket launchers at Steve Jobs house if they did this? A new keyboard and mouse 3 months after you buy a new $3000.00 machine.
I for one would be first in line!
 
New keyboards/mouse in G5's

Just to add to the speculation on new keyboards and mice, if you order a G4 at the US apple store, you will get Apple Pro Keyboard and Mouse, part # 065-4388. In the order for my new G5, it says "Apple Keyboard and Mouse, part # 065-4161." Who knows what it means other than they will be different. I'm hoping optical wireless, or else it's good news for Logitech et al.
 
Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse Support in Panther?

I remember a patent application for Apple that was a rotating button mouse. Not sure where i saw that but the article included a line drawing of a mouse with a circular button on the top that would rotate left or right. Not the kind of rotating button you see on a Logitech. Sounded, to me at the time, perfect for the multipane windows X has introduced. Of course this was a rendering by someone who was interpreting Apple's application. Was that here i saw that?
 
Originally posted by jeffberg
Sort of off topic, but in the bottom left of that screenshot and when I switch my system german there is a checkbox labeled "Foo." What does that mean?
Click to expand...
Not to beat this to death, but if you're ever curious about the (most likely) true meaning of a slang computer term, check out The Jargon File -- in this case, their entry for Foo .

-Richard
 
MS Bluetooth

I currently use Microsoft's "Wireless Optical Desktop for Bluetooth," which is a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, on one of my computers (OS X 10.2.6) and it works pefectly. None of the intellipoint/type drivers work with it though, so there's no customization of any special buttons or keys, but the gernal functionality is fine. Mouse responsiveness isn't super-ultra tight, but it's plenty good enough. Both devices seem to go to sleep after a long period of inactivity, but are quickly woken up with any user interaction.

MS web site/marketing materials do not consistently mention OS X compatibility, and an MS tech guy I talked to was stunned when I told him I had it working (unrelated call, btw), but don't be scared.

It comes with a Bluetooth adapter, so you don't need to buy one separately. I got mine at CompUSA for $129.99. The cool part about the adapter is that it sits in a little dock that connects via USB to your Mac for normal usage, but you can pull the adpater out of the dock and attach to a PowerBook for on-the-go usage.
 
Ummmmm, bluetooth

A question to Bluetooth users.
Do you get the same effects that can be attributed to normal mobile phone technology? (ie; a rather warm ear or crisp kidney with prolonged use) In fact my hand starts to cramp a little when I use my phone too much.

My understanding is Bluetooth is essentially harmless radio waves. But if it isn't I can't see a Bluetooth Keyboard and mouse, being ideal for the prevention of RSIs.

I hope I am so wrong because the amount of wires on my desk is getting way out of hand!
 
G5's, Bluetooth, FOO

Originally posted by jeffberg
Sort of off topic, but in the bottom left of that screenshot and when I switch my system german there is a checkbox labeled "Foo." What does that mean?
Click to expand...

To the old UNIX folks out there FOO transcends the WWII FUBAR meaning, it means nothing, everything, anything, it means FOO.

FOO++
dd if=/dev/hd1s0d bs=1kk of=/tmp/FOO

FOO is a placeholder. FOO is a variable. FOO is NULL ... and FOO is not NULL.

FOO is life. Read it. Learn it. Live it! :)

Oh ... and as far as a Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse ... PPPPPPLLLLEEEAAAASSSEEEE save me from buying the Microsoft model! I've been using Bluetooth daily since I got my 15" TiBook and Sony/Ericsson t68i, and I'm dying for a Mac-friendly bluetooth keyboard/mouse. I'd buy Logitech, but it's still no B/T... sigh.
 
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